Business Trends

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Maria Piscopo  |  Apr 21, 2015  |  0 comments

Today’s wedding photography business uses many different self-promotional tools ranging from traditional bridal shows to social media advertising. No one photographer has the “right” way to run a wedding business; each photographer’s targeted wedding clientele, their individual photography style and business plan will dictate how differently they market and find clients.

Maria Piscopo  |  Jan 01, 2010  |  0 comments

Born and raised in the Midwest, Raymond Meeks (www.raymondmeeks.net) came to fine art photography after establishing a successful career in the advertising and editorial markets. His love for song and story led to his success in fine art photography exhibitions and book publishing. In reviewing his work Miguel Garcia-Guzman says, “I...

Maria Piscopo  |  Feb 24, 2014  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2014  |  1 comments
The past few years have witnessed many challenges to those who want to earn money with their photography for both full-timers and those who use their talents to earn extra income. One area that has remained strong, indeed grown, is the family portrait business. Photographers have seen the need to adapt to changes in their clients’ expectations and tastes and, as importantly, the changing pace of technology. In addition, there are important marketing considerations that contribute to success as well. In this article I talk with Kim Campbell, Orit Harpaz, Vonda Hussey, and Michelle Tricca to gain their insight on the family portrait business. Please use the “Web Resources” listed at the end of this article to help you visit their websites so you can see more of their dynamic and exciting work.
Maria Piscopo  |  Nov 09, 2012  |  First Published: Oct 01, 2012  |  6 comments
One of my favorite topics is helping you find ways to make money with your photography. Greeting card and calendar clients seem “hidden” only because most photography marketing articles usually focus on the bigger and broader markets like advertising, editorial, or even weddings and portraiture. But the “paper products” companies are still publishing, even moving into e-cards, and they still need images. I will confess, surrounded as I am by photography and photographers, I am still a Gold-Crown-card-carrying Hallmark club member!
Maria Piscopo  |  Mar 01, 2007  |  0 comments

Just as you thought everything is swinging to online promotion, a new type of printed portfolio book has finally broken through and onto the scene. The printing of an actual "coffee-table" book as a portfolio uses the latest technology as a business tool for you to market your services. Presenting prospective clients with a beautifully bound and printed book makes a...

Maria Piscopo  |  Sep 01, 2006  |  0 comments

What's new in the stock photography business? As most photographers already know, the business of stock photography has changed dramatically in the last five years. It no longer can be supplied with photos left over from an assignment or old photos sitting in a file drawer. Stock photo sales can be a potential profit center, but only for those willing to put in the time and...

Maria Piscopo  |  Jul 01, 2008  |  0 comments

With commercial clients turning more often to stock photos, many photographers are looking for ways to keep themselves in business. At the same time, art photography markets are looking for new and fresh images. These art photography clients can be the more traditional consumer markets such as galleries and individual collectors. They can also be the more commercial art clients...

Maria Piscopo  |  Mar 01, 2008  |  0 comments

As image technology progresses, professional photographers face new challenges to build and expand their businesses. Finding new revenue streams and securing the maximum amount of promotional exposure can seem daunting. The industry keeps evolving and pros must evolve as well. Getting into photography workshops can be a source of income and a prime opportunity to generate business...

Maria Piscopo  |  Sep 27, 2011  |  First Published: Aug 01, 2011  |  0 comments
While the destiny of the commercial photographer is still in the hands of the current corporate and advertising economy, the pro-active consumer portrait photographer seems to be doing well, even considering the times. Yet challenges remain from the shopping mall photo studio (26 photos for just $7.99!) to the DIY market, where everyone with a D-SLR gets in on the act.
Maria Piscopo  |  Aug 01, 2008  |  0 comments

Publicity is one of the most overlooked areas of marketing for photographers. The protocol for obtaining this less conspicuous but very important promotional tool has three basic steps: submission of information about your work to the media; confirmation of acceptance; and final publishing. Publicity provides benefits without the high cost of ads or the labor-intensive effort of...

Maria Piscopo  |  Apr 30, 2013  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2013  |  0 comments
Gallery exhibit openings, fine art collectors calling, fine art book sales—all of these are every photographer’s dream for their personal work. Some even dream of fine art photography as a career. While creating art photography is one topic, selling the work is quite another. For as many high-tech changes as there have been in the art field (selling prints online!) there are still traditional marketing techniques such as research and print presentation that can make a difference. For this year’s focus on fine art we talk with an expert in the field, Mary Virginia Swanson.
Maria Piscopo  |  Mar 07, 2013  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2013  |  3 comments
Since my first explorations of the stock photography industry, there have been many changes and upheavals in the business. In this column, I hope to sort out some of the most important changes that have occurred. One is the relationship of the photographer and the stock agency and the changing nature of the agency business itself. Indeed, many stock agencies are now called stock distributors since they no longer work as agents to “represent” photographers. For photographers, there is an even higher degree of specialized subject knowledge and/or access to a subject required for a reasonable sales return on the work.
Maria Piscopo  |  Jun 20, 2014  |  First Published: May 01, 2014  |  0 comments
What is “stock” photography, and how can it be a source of revenue? First, let’s define some terms. In most cases, rather than selling an image in the stock photo market think “license,” as stock images are not really sold—they are licensed for a particular use. The larger agencies all license Rights Managed (RM) images and many Royalty Free (RF) agencies will offer a “removal from market” option if an exclusive license is needed by the client.
Maria Piscopo  |  Dec 11, 2018  |  0 comments

The lure and magic of wildlife and nature images tempts many photographers to jump into the field. However, it’s not nearly as easy as many aspiring pros think or hope. The all-important “look before you leap” challenges to this photo field can be considerable and the start-up time longer than the usual commercial photography business.

Maria Piscopo  |  Mar 21, 2014  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2014  |  0 comments

As technology changes so do methods of presentation. In this article I set out to discover what type of portfolio photographers have found work best and, from the buyer’s perspective, what type or types they prefer. As I conducted the interviews among art directors, photo reps, and photographers it all began to boil down to this: how do you get your work seen by potential clients and how do you craft an effective portfolio that makes sense to them and represents your craft and passion?

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